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EDITORIAL

Gun Makers Group Looks Petty Pulling Park Support

Upset by gun laws, industry won't support Colt historic park proposal

Editorial

The Hartford Courant

5:31 PM EDT, July 10, 2013

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The gun industry does get into a snit on those rare occasions when it doesn't get its way.

The National Shooting Sports Foundation, which represents gun and ammunition manufacturers, issued a letter this week to members of the state's Congressional delegation and Gov. Dannel P. Malloy announcing that because of the gun-related legislation passed in the state this spring, it is withdrawing its support for proposed federal legislation that would make the Coltsville complex in Hartford a National Historic Park.

Fortunately, the project is not dependent on gun industry support.

The letter says the industry is "offended by the hypocrisy" of officials who would support a historic gunmaking site while "pursuing gun control legislation."

If Coltsville were just a gun factory, it would not be a candidate for national park designation. It is a strong contender because it was the cradle of the 19th-century Industrial Revolution in America, where precision machining, interchangeable parts and other techniques were developed; and because it was an industrial village, a way of living and working that is important to remember.

The past is not the present. Lawmakers who support Coltsville and sensible gun laws aren't hypocrites; they are people who can hold two thoughts — history and safety — at the same time. Were they to do nothing after the massacre of 26 women and children at a Newtown school in December?

Does the gun industry have any idea how petty this action appears? Does it care?